Astros report: Altuve’s mindset: Any spot will do

Jose Altuve will bring a .338 average to the third hole in the Astros’ batting order. (Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle)

If the Astros’ Nos. 1 and 2 hitters continue to get on base, 5-5, 175-pound second baseman Jose Altuve will continue to serve as the team’s No. 3 hitter.

Albert Pujols (480 career home runs and 1,453 RBIs) hits in the third spot for the Angels. But Altuve (11 career home runs, 66 RBIs) easily has been the Astros’ most consistent hitter this season.

With the club again using athletic young outfielders Robbie Grossman and Jimmy Paredes in the first two spots Wednesday, Altuve served as the team’s top-of-the-lineup slugger.

“It puts a lot of speed at the top of the lineup,” said manager Bo Porter, who instructed Altuve not to change anything about his swing or approach at the plate after being moved from the two-hole.

The consistently upbeat Altuve said he’s willing to hit anywhere from first to ninth in the order.

He batted leadoff and second a combined 584 times in 2012, hit eighth in 32 plate appearances, and was third only eight times.

“I’m comfortable no matter what the spot in the lineup I am,” said Altuve, who entered Wednesday ranked third in the American League in hits (45) and fourth in batting average (.338).

Altuve’s first-inning home run Tuesday flew 428 feet. It was the longest of his career and farthest any Astro has hit a ball this season.

“I hit it really hard. I was looking for the pitch, and (C.J. Wilson) threw it,” Altuve said.

Humber latest to stumble out of rotation

Philip Humber hasn’t been himself during the past few days. The former Rice standout rarely spoke, was hardly audible when he did, and drew deeper within himself.

Astros manager Bo Porter’s announcement Wednesday explained why.

Humber was moved from the starting rotation into the bullpen, ending a string of seven consecutive losses to start the season.

“It’s all about perspective. You can look at it like it’s a tough situation. At the same time, it’s an opportunity. That’s how I look at it,” said Humber, who has an 8.82 ERA. “I was not pitching well in the rotation, and so hopefully this is an opportunity for me to get better and for our team.”

Humber nearly lost his starting spot during a recent six-game East Coast road trip. He showed some improvement in a nine-hit, four-run road loss to the New York Yankees on April 30. But Humber allowed eight hits and eight runs during Sunday’s 9-0 rout by Detroit. The author of a perfect game in 2012 had become the weakest link in a rotation that entered Wednesday with an MLB-worst 6.49 ERA.

In another sign of just how unsettled the Astros’ rotation is, veteran Erik Bedard, who holds a 7.36 ERA and lost his starter’s spot last Sunday, was named Humber’s replacement and will face Texas on Saturday.

Lefthander Dallas Keuchel, 25, will start Friday against the Rangers. He owns a career mark of 3-9 with a 5.22 ERA in the majors. Keuchel twice has been called up from Class AAA Oklahoma City this year, going 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA in 161⁄3 innings of relief.

The Astros’ season-opening Nos. 3-5 starters (Humber, Brad Peacock, Bedard) have lost their spots in the rotation since March 31. Righty Jordan Lyles recently took Peacock’s position.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Porter said.

Comeback win long time coming

The Astros’ 7-6 come-from-behind win Tuesday was their first in 47 games. The drought stretched to last September.

It was the longest streak since the Texas Rangers went 58 games in 1972-73, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.